


A Penny for your Thoughts

by Garak



Category: RWBY
Genre: Drama, Fluff, Mystery, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:47:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21528574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garak/pseuds/Garak
Summary: Penny finds an unexpected presence lurking in the landscape of her unconsciousness.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	A Penny for your Thoughts

** A Penny for your Thoughts  **

All they could see was white.

They were pretty sure there needed to be a horizon. Without it, the ground merged into the sky, and it felt important that they should be apart.

_Yes, there should be a boundary,_ they thought. 

Spinning around, they looked for a landmark. At least they thought they did. No air brushed against them as they spun, the tug of momentum strangely absent. They stopped, or didn't, and considered their environment. It wasn't hot or cold, no trace of any scents, and devoid of sound. No sensations at all. 

They decided this was unusual. 

Before they could ponder further, a mote appeared. It slowly grew into a shimmering, hazy aura of non-white, green she supposed, until it didn't. They considered it got closer, not bigger. And, since to came all this way, they should be polite and greet it.

“ _Salutations!_ ” they said.

“ _Hello_.” the shimmer replied.

“ _Do you know what this place is?_ ” 

“ _Yes, it is empty._ ”

They paused. “ _Oh. It is. Next question, do you know who I am?_ ”

The aura pulsated. “ _Who do you wish to be?_ ”

“ _I wish to be somebody._ ” they said. “ _Being nobody is... wrong._ ”

“ _Then be somebody._ ”

“ _How?_ ”

Another pulse. “ _Start small. What do you need to be somebody?_ ” 

They considered the shimmer's words. To be somebody they would need... 

“ _A boundary!_ ” they exclaimed. “ _To be somebody, I need to be separate from the nothing._ ”

Green lines arced and traced a glowing mesh outline of two appendages, with more tiny appendages at the ends. _Arms, hands, and fingers_ , they thought. Looking down, they watched the lines thatch together a body. Legs and feet sprung into existence, parallel rays adding volume as they lazily circled downwards. They experimentally wiggled their toes before flexing and moving their new arms. Hands on hips, they looked back to the shimmer.

“ _There, a_ _boundary!”_ they said triumphantly. 

“ _Are you somebody now?_ ” the shimmer asked.

They hesitated. “ _No. I am... more than this? I should not be this empty._ ” they said, peering through the lattice forming their arms.

“ _Show me._ ”

The lines bleed, filling the holes to construct a solid surface. Limbs sagged as the insides filled, and they wobbled when gravity embraced them. It felt marvellous. 

But they wanted more. 

The hard green membrane faded into a pink and pliable surface. _Skin_. They felt something brush against their cheek, reaching up they tugged at soft copper locks sprouting from their head. _Hair_. They looked down, twisting and turning as their body was painted over, the detail filled in. _Her_ body. Newly formed lips slipped into a smile as she flexed and prodded herself. 

_More_ , she thought.

Slim lines spun over her skin, weaving another layer on top. The green mostly washed away, leaving accents on a grey dress and black leggings. A crisp, white blouse, that smelled faintly of floral perfume, completed the outfit. The fabric rustled as she ran her fingers over her clothes, marvelling at the different textures. 

“ _How did you feel?_ ” the shimmer asked.

“Sensational!” she replied, her mouth comfortably forming the word.

“ _Now are you somebody?_ ”

She frowned. “I have some body, but I'm not somebody. I still need... a name!”

“ _What is your name?_ ” the shimmer pulsed.

“My name is...” She paused and tilted her head, reaching for the answer. Her eyes brightened. “My name is Penny! It is a pleasure to meet you!”

“ _Hello, Penny._ ”

Penny grinned, then idly spun around, scanning the white expanse. 

“Now that I'm somebody again, I should figure out what this empty place is,” She frowned. “I do not think I should be here.”

“ _Where do you want to be?_ ”

“Oh, that is easy! I want to be at Beacon Academy!”

“ _I would like to see this Beacon. Can you show me?_ ”

“I would love to!” Penny said, clasping her hands together. Her face fell. “But, I do not know how to take you there.”

“ _Then bring Beacon here._ ”

“How?”

The shimmer rippled. “ _How did you bring your body here?_ ”

Penny blinked. She glanced around the featureless void then down at herself. She nodded, and tapped the ground with her foot. Green lines shot out of the point of impact, some racing off to fade into the distance, others flying upwards to build towering structures. Still more twisted in the air, growing finer as they assembled delicate components. _Buildings,_ s _tatues,_ _trees,_ Penny mentally recited as the objects formed. 

Another tap and colour flooded out, saturating the frameworks with substance. A courtyard come to life around her, studded with tall oaks and fierce sculptures of warriors. The Beacon CCT tower scraped against a sky dyed azure by a frenzied wave of blue – except for the occasional puff of cloud. Penny shielded her eyes as sunlight swept over the campus, leaving islands of shadow in the wake of buildings. 

“This is Beacon!“ Penny announced, puffing out her chest. “It is wonderful, is it not?”

“ _It is very... spacious. Would it not be lonely?_ ” the shimmer asked.

Penny shook her head. “Oh, no. I have many friends.”

Without prompting, she waved her arms and more lines sprouted from the worn paving stones, this time crimson. They flowered into a figure then bloomed predominantly red and black. Soon, a diminutive girl took form, rooted mid-step with their cape streaming out behind them. Penny walked up beside her and gestured wildly. 

“This is Ruby!” She exclaimed. “My first friend and best friend! She is cute and squishy.”

Another wave and snowy lines appeared like frost crystallising over glass. Colour snapped forth and a scowling girl clad in white took shape, her long ponytail frozen in mid-bounce.

“Friend Weiss does not like me very much, but I like her.” Penny said with a sharp nod.

Tendrils of shadow drifted through the air, inky smoke filling the gaps between. A lithe, monochrome figure faded in, nose buried in a book. The black bow perched on top of their head curiously tilted forward. 

“Blake is my faunus friend. Oh! But do not tell anyone, it is a secret!”

Jets of flame roiled, curling and burning as a image of a tall figure burst into existence. Wildfire braided into long golden locks, and the conflagration extinguished to reveal a smirking young woman.

“Yang said were are buddies, which is also a type of friend! We bump fists!”

“ _They sound like fine friends,_ ” the shimmer said. “ _Are there more?_ ”

“Oh, _yes_! Ruby introduced me to these four.”

Penny hopped across the cobblestones, leaving a different coloured pool with each bounce. More figures took shape.

“This here is Jaune, my first boy friend,” Penny said, then put a hand over mouth. “Oops, I'm not suppose to say it that way. It creates confusion and makes him stutter.”

She placed herself between two figures, tilting her head left and right. “This is Nora, my loud friend. And Ren is my quiet friend.”

“ _What about the forth one?_ ” 

Penny turned to find a swirling mass of particles, like fragments of dried, clotted blood. A thrumming black aura contained them in a rough outline of a woman. She frowned.

“I must have been mistaken,” Penny said. “I do not know this one.”

_ Hic. _

She waved her hand and the mass dissipated. She turned back and smiled at the shimmer.

“But there are still many more for you to meet!”

Throwing her arms out wide, Penny's fingers twitched like a puppeteer tugging at strings. Splashes of colour polka dotted the ground, turning the immediate area into a palette of every pigment. Lines completed people in broad strokes, additional details staining the primary hue. The courtyard become crowded with uniformed students, and the occasional team or individual clad in the peculiar guise of a huntsman or huntress. All unmoving, a sliver of a moment captured perfectly. 

Penny strolled through the crowd, humming at her handiwork. The shimmer bobbed along beside her.

“ _These are all your friends?_ ” the shimmer asked.

“No,” Penny said, shaking her head. “Not all of them. But they are all my colleagues. We train together.”

“ _Train for what?_ ” 

“To fight the grimm, of course!” 

Penny swept her arm over a cluster of statues adorning a fountain, each a twisted caricature of a beast. The shimmer pulsed in response.

“ _They look dangerous._ ” 

“They are dangerous,” Penny agreed. “That is why Beacon exists, to prepare us, to challenge us to be the best.”

“ _Challenge?_ ”

“Yes, through competition. Look up there.”

Pointing up, Penny commanded lines into a flurry of activity to draw a massive, floating arena against the background of the sky.

“That is Amity Colosseum where the Vytal Festival is held every two years. A tournament to test the combat readiness of competitors.”

“ _Can we go there?_ ”

“Yes.” Penny said simply.

The scenery blurred and Penny stepped into the middle of the coliseum. She twirled about, distant cheering echoed from the past. 

“Here we fight while the world watches.” she said.

The shimmer throbbed. “ _Did you fight?_ ” it asked.

“Yes, with my team mates.” Penny said. “I was entered to test my abilities.”

“ _Like the others._ ” the shimmer concluded.

Penny frowned. “No, not like the others. Not exactly...”

Her eyes wandered over the empty seating, coming to rest on a stern man clad in a military uniform. Penny shivered.

“ _Who is that, Penny?_ ”

“I do not know,” she replied. “I must had made him by accident.”

_Hic_.

Penny spun away. “What would you like to see next?” she chirped.

“ _I would like to see you fight._ ” the shimmer requested.

“I'm combat ready!” Penny saluted. “Would you like to see me fight Yang? I always wanted to fight Yang!”

The shimmer darkened. “ _What about her?_ ”

“Who?” Penny asked, turning around.

Whirling angrily, the maelstrom of fragments from before stood ready. The air reverberated with it's power, forcing Penny to step back.

“No...” she whispered.

The sun blinked out and sky disappeared into velvety night. The great spotlights of the arena flooded the stage, sending the two competitors shadows to strike the edges of the platform. The figure before her crouched. 

“I can not fight her!” Penny gasped.

“ _Why not?_ ”

“She is not a huntress!”

_ Hic. _

“ _Yes, she is._ ”

Particles coalesced into a burnished shield in one hand, a short spear in the other. Gold and crimson armour was wrought over the agitated mass, a red sash spilled down her leg. 

Penny held her hands up. “I can not fight, I have no weapon!”

_ Hic. _

“ _Yes, you do._ ”

Unbidden, Penny's swords leapt from their housing on her back. They dangled in the air, the connecting wires glinting in the spotlights.

“No, I can not fight! I can not fight them!” she wailed.

_Hic_.

“ _Yes, you can._ ”

Penny's swords sliced towards her opponent, before spinning away as they deftly parried. Again and again the swords flickered in, probing for weak spots in the warrior's defence. Some her opponent battered away with her shield, others swatted by her spear. An invisible hand played with the rest, subtly guiding them off course, Penny cringed each time it happened. 

She desperately tried to call back her blades, but they speed up in response. One strikes true, tearing the shield from the warriors grasp, it rang as it bounced off the stone tiles. The warrior's spear swiftly followed. Rising up, the swords hovered in formation, poised for the final strike. The warrior held out her hands...

Penny screamed.

Dropping to her knees, Penny cowered in a tight ball. The bite of her own cables would tear into her, again. She would be ripped apart, again. She will die, again.

_ Wait, again? _

Lifting her head, Penny looked at the shimmer. It pulsed rapidly, growing darker as each wave rippled over it. 

“Who are you?” she asked.

The pulsating stopped.

“ _Who do you think I am?_ ” the shimmer replied.

“I think you are someone trying to make me remember,” Penny said before shaking her head. “No, that is not correct. I think you are a teacher.”

Rocking back onto heels, Penny sprung up. She cast a wary eye over the warrior frozen mid-gesture, the contained fragments stilled, before turning her attention on the shimmer.

“I do not think these are my memories.” she said.

“ _Of course they are, you showed me them._ ” 

“Then why do I not remember her face?”

The shimmer emitted another odd hiccup and pulsed. A memory of a red haired woman bubbled up, her face set with determination. Penny glanced sideways; the same features spread over the warrior.

“That is my friend, Pyrrha. She is a kind person.” she recited.

The shimmer faded back to a lighter shade. “ _Yes, she is very kind._ ” it said softly.

“I know who you are now.” 

Penny strode forward, waving her arm at the shimmer. Green lines wrapped around it, molding it into shape. The shell formed, imprisoning the aura, detail etched in over top. Penny smiled at the familiar figure emerging. 

“Greetings, Penny.” she said.

“Salutations!” her doppelganger replied. 

“You are the real Penny then?”

Her double shook her head. “No, just another Penny.”

“There are more?” Penny asked, eyes wide.

“Oh, yes. Many more.”

“Can I meet them?”

“No, they have left. Like I will.” her double said,

“I do not understand, why must you leave? Why did the other Penny's leave?” Penny asked.

“We can only live one life, we cannot return after we die. That is why–“

“I exist.” Penny finished. 

Her predecessor nodded. “When our body perishes, our core is repaired and memories passed on. But the previous aura is fated to drift away, so each time a new soul is born.”

“So, I am not Penny?”

“No, you are Penny. We are all Penny.” her predecessor replied.

“But what if I do not want to be Penny? Or a huntress?” Penny said, pacing in short circles. She spun back to her predecessor, clenching her fists. “Did you not what to be someone else?!”

The former Penny looked away, her smile tight and small. “Oh, yes.” she whispered.

“Then why...” Penny trailed off, her arm dropping limply by her sides. “Because you couldn't remember.”

“No, and once you wake up, neither will you.”

“Then I am the just a puppet of the dead.” Penny said, hanging her head.

She felt a firm hands on her shoulders and looked up at her double.

“No, never that. That is never our wish.” 

Her predecessor pressed her forehead into Penny's and a torrent of memories exploded forth. Strategy meetings with Ciel, sneaking out to play with Ruby, the sight of Vale from Ironwood's airship – a warmth spread inside her at each precious memory.

Penny tumbled deeper into the chilly depths of the past. Synthetic limbs snapped during countless trials to prefect her combat readiness, stress testing that shattered her chassis, days spent blind and without a voice. Core failures and deliberate shut downs. Every set back, every misstep ended one Penny and birthed another.

Hurtling towards the beginning, Penny entered a time where new sensations exploded like fireworks. Her first spoken words, her first text communications, her first conscious thoughts. Then white. She looked over the familiar void until she located a mote of flickering green aura. The first of them, a nameless scrap of existence. She felt, rather than heard, it's thoughts – No, not thoughts. It was too primitive to think. Instead, it weakly pulsated with a yearning she found tantalisingly familiar...

_ I wish to be. _

Penny gasped as pure desire washed through her. A sudden pull yanked her from the void and back into the memories of those that came after. The wish clung to her, evolving each time she crashed through the nova of a new soul.

_ I wish to be heard. _

_ I wish to be free. _

_ I wish to be useful. _

_ I wish to be human. _

_ I wish to be loved. _

The hard arena floor jolted Penny back into the present. She blinked at her own face hovering over her. 

“Their desires were never forgotten!” she said, leaping to feet. “Each Penny wanted to fulfil a simple wish, and they did.”

Her predecessor beamed. “Yes, I– _we_ have many wonderful friends. You will never be our puppet, Penny. We leave no strings of regrets. May I ask what you wish for?”

“Silly, I told you already!” Penny said, waving her off. “I wish to be Somebody. Not a nobody or an anybody. A Somebody.” 

“A fine wish.” her predecessor said, her smile deepening.

–

All Penny could see was white.

The overhead lamp squeaked as it was thrust aside, replaced by the face of a weathered old man, bushy eyebrows almost meeting over his furrowed brow. 

“Penny?” he asked.

“Salutations, father!” Penny replied.

Her father's face drooped, wrinkles fading into faint lines. 

“You gave me quite the scare this time, Penny. Now, how do you feel?”

“Oh, I am wonderful!”

_ Hic. _

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Prompt - Penny meets the real Penny. It's a bit rushed and unpolished, but the core of the story is there. Feel free to comment!


End file.
